In my childhood, I had heard a story. The story was of a master who found a Genie. The Genie agreed to serve his master as long as the master could find work for him. However, if the Genie was out of work, then he would eat his own master. The master agreed to the condition and started giving work to the Genie. All the tasks assigned to Genie were done in a jiffy and the Genie returned only for more work. Obviously, his master did not have infinite work and thus soon ran out of tasks. The Genie was about to eat his own master when the master struck upon the idea of asking the Genie to straighten the tail of his dog. The genie could never straighten the tail and the master and the genie lived happily ever after.
In this modern day world, who is the genie and what are we talking about? It is the world economy that has become a big monstrous Genie that feeds on production and consumption. If there is a drop in consumption then soon the ever burgeoning industries face stock piles and then the whole world starts producing less. As soon as there is less production, profit margins erode, jobs are cut and there is general insecurity in the minds of people. This insecurity leads people to cut spending (not knowing who will be the next to lose his/her job) and tendency to resist from all times of loans (home loan, car loan or personal loan).The banks on their part turn cautious and raise interest rates causing further distress to the consumption patterns. This in turn leads to further slowdown in key markets like automobiles and real estate. The culmination of all this is various forms of economic downturns including slowdown, deflation and recession. So, a year that started with big bang and the stocks markets touched all time low in January 2008 have turned upside down in less than twelve months. Oil which had turned mind-boggling 150$ a barrel is now about $40 and people now predict 25-30$ a barrel.
Much before the slowdown had hit like a bolt of tightening and caught most of us unawares, one question that always bugged me was “how did we define growth?” There was this weird rat race without any direction of the larger picture. Did growth mean producing more stuff without any clue as to where or how the product was being consumed? We were producing more cars and motorcycles but most urban cities were already choking under the current traffic load. While some criticized the Tata’s Nano car as an urban nightmare, but the simple point was that not “enough” thought was given as to where they would move on roads or where they will be parked at night. Forget enough, while automobile makers merrily queue at the Finance minister’s office for excise and tax cuts, not one voice is heard about effective private transport management system. In fact, business newspapers are more worried about dwindling car sales rather than choking roads and crowded colony lanes.
The problem is not limited to cars or motor cycles. All items are now packaged which means that our highways are dotted with bisleri bottles and empty packs of chips. People want cheaper computer and television but no one bothers to know what shall happen to the unused and discarded stuff. The rich countries ship their toxic and unwanted waste to developing countries, while the developing countries continue to produce more. If one goes around any major steel plants, then possible mounds and hills of industrial waste and ore dot the cities - the air around carries the pollutants like a thin cover.
Even for developed countries, I wonder what the next trigger is. Considering that most people have houses, cars, TV, mobile and other items of household comfort, what would be the trigger for next bouts of large scale consumption? The consumption was probably fed by the easy availability of credit card and low prices. The card companies having gone bust, there is no easy money. And huge number of job cuts has caused havoc too. With mounting losses, a large chunk of business has started moving from high cost to low cost countries. This has caused even further damage to the economies of developed countries leading some of them to recession.
Another casualty in this distress times is the tourism industry. This industry is linked to many other allied industries including air-travel, hospitality, shopping, ground travel and food-beverage. With slowing economy, this too has become a big casualty. The recent carnage by terrorists in Mumbai and the heightened security risks doing no good either.
The point here is not simply one of waste management or environmental sustainability or job transfers or terrorism. The moot question is how do we provide economic livelihood and decent living conditions to the world’s 6.7 billion people? How do we create an economic balance that does not endanger the nature’s delicate balance? How do we define growth so that our cities do not choke? While these are very big questions, I may share my two and a half cents.
For starters, the problem is exacerbated with the rapid population explosion, especially in the Asian continent with China, and Indian subcontinent including Pakistan and Bangladesh, leading the way. While the world population was about a billion at the start of 1900 century and took more than a hundred years to add a billion, another 35 to add the third. But since then, every 12-15 years another billion people (the size of India’s population) is added to the list of people. Most developed countries have nearly static population and the pressure is coming from developing and the under-developing economies. Thus, the ones least endowed are the ones who are producing the maximum. Obviously, some stringent steps are needed to control world population.
Secondly, the governments must resist from short-term parochial measures and try to take a long term view of what is in the best interests of the nation. India’s rich, diverse, cultural and geographical heritage is ideal candidate for tourists for all flavours including those interested in adventure tourism, medical tourism, heritage tourism and the list is endess. The country need to invest in its infrastructure, airports, railways, roads, hotels, public utility management and again the list is endless here. This two together can be a very effective mechanism to boost economy. In parallel it has to boost its security systems to prevent or minimize terror attacks so that visitors feel safe while visiting here.
Thirdly, it has focus on environmental sustainability. This would imply that it takes stringent measures (like one taken in Delhi where within one month all diesel buses were taken out). Some of the measures would include massive overhaul and expenditure on public transport, high taxes on private cars and high parking charges, and battery operated cars for local needs. Other steps could include rain water harvesting, banning use of polythene bags and resurrecting rural economies by facilitating allied business like horticulture and animal husbandry. Further steps are also needed on waste management. Given the large populace that we have, there is huge environmentally sustainable business in segregating and managing waste. And obviously, people have to pay for every kilo of waste they dispose. The direct and indirect taxes could also be reduced to give more money in the hands of public. This spare money could then be used to charge various services provided directly or indirectly by governments (e.g. waste management).
In closing, the economic boom was driven by extreme greed with easy availability of credit. The subsequent burst of the bubble has caused panic and it shall take months and years for this panic to subside. But when it has subsided, then we need to form a vision as to what sort of country we want to make? What should be its priorities? How do its 1.1 billion people live, eat and spend their money. How do their industrialists shape up? We need a vision and a leader to fulfill that vision.
Chachu, 14 December, 2008
-----------------
Edited Comments on Chachu's Column #39: A billion mutinies and few baby steps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Very well wrtitten and the sentiments expressed are quite similar to many of the 'educated' minds of India. Is it possible to clean our political system (politicians?) and thus improve the quality of every other system, whether legal, educational, organizational or any other? We need some iron fisted leaders who care for the country, are truly patriotic and know how to make sacrifices and revel in creating national glory. (Courtesy Manju B).
2. Great article. I liked it very much. (Courtesy Manisha)
Web Resources
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population
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Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Chachu's Column #39: A billion mutinies and few baby steps
The headline news that continues to hog these days’ papers and magazine is the exploits of the Man with the Golden Gun – Abhinav Bindra. It was just another morning when I reached office, albeit late, when I opened Rediff.com for my daily dose of morning news and Oops! What did I saw? Abhinav Bindra strikes Gold in Shooting at the Olympics. I almost shrieked in joy - The first individual Olympic Gold medal. And one could remember where the baby steps had started. It was India's very own Davis Cup star and hard-core patriot Leander Peas, who won India a bronze medal in Tennis at Atlanta Games, 1996. In the next games held at Sydney in year 2000, India retained its medal haul of 1 bronze when Karnam Malleswari won the bronze with a total lift of 240 kg in the women's 69 kg weightlifting. The next year we went one step ahead and bagged silver again in shooting courtesy Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. So this time, it was in the fitness of things to go another step forward. However, Rathore could not match his previous exploits and it was left for the media shy and reticent Bindra to hit the bull’s eye. It was then to be followed by the exploits of boxers where three Indians were in fray in quarter finals and only one bout to win to be sure of medals. But among the battery of Kumars that were fighting, only Vijender Singh made the cut and bagged the bronze. And among others, out of nowhere, a wrestler by the name of Sushil Kumar too bagged a bronze. Then there were notable loosers who fought bravely, leading the pack being the shuttler Saina Nehwal who lost in the quarters. The tennis duo of Paes (still fighting for India even after 12 years) and Bhupathi lost to eventual champions Mr. Federer and company. The hockey team, which had only rich legacy behind, did not bother as they had even failed to qualify for the Olympics (- it being remembered that failure to qualify turned to be an event that was subsequently followed by dismissal of KPS Gill and company who had led and almost ruined Indian hockey).
![]()
Gold medal winner Bindra (top), Vijender (left) and Sushil (right)
So the three medals, one gold and two bronze, was a record for India. Among the three medal winners, only Bindra came from a very rich background where he could afford his own shooting range. The boxer and the wrestler came from non-descript backgrounds and it was heartening to see them strike it big. Thus, money was not the sole criteria in the path to success. The conduct and shenanigans of Indian officials and politicians after the victory was bizarre to say the least. The award for the boxers had started pouring even before their matches were over. The bronze winner boxer was running with the Indian flag after winning the quarter final match (having been assured of bronze and still waiting for semi-final bout). And the news channels went berserk seeing interviews of the family of the prize winners. Every one was falling over each other to appease the winners with cash prizes, free rail and air tickets et al. One always wondered how much the sports-officials really cared for the upliftment of sports. Was a post in administration just a source for realizing vested interests, to boss around the budding talent, to nurture a culture of nepotism and boot-licking or there was that genuine urge to develop the best talent and yet stay in the background?
Some politicians also announced boxing academies to promote sports. I wondered if we need such initiatives “before” or “after” the event. But then, what is now “after” the Olympics may in few years be “before”, and one would then like to see how things have really changed on the ground. Indeed it would be quite likely that the politicians who have announced these initiatives may themselves be not around (being dumped due to incumbency). However, if the seeds are well sown, then it was not imperative to constantly nurture the tree.
Bird’s nest in Beijing
Another aspect of this Olympics was the execution prowess of China in holding the games successfully. From the opening show till the finish and from the Bird’s nest to the swimming pools, China was unanimously awarded full marks for their administration. And when one compared this administrative supremacy of China with the pathetic state of affairs of Delhi’s roads, then one would shudder in fear. Readers may find this comparison weird, but fact of the matter is that within two years, India has to hold the 2010 Commonwealth games. And even though Delhi Government is taking some steps to prepare for the big event, the current state of Delhi road highlight the abysmal and pathetic state of affairs. Just a few showers of monsoons and the city is water logged, the drains are overflowing and there are pot holes so deep that even trucks and tractors overturn. And if this was not the end of misery, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi took a vow that in 10 days it would fill all potholes. And in the ten days indeed the foot-deep potholes have disappeared only to be filled by broken bricks, cement, mud and all primordial techniques one could conceive.
Runner Bold and Magical Swimmer Phelps
Seeing such dismal state, I always ask this basic question: How can a nation win Olympic medals when its roads are not perfect? Are roads and medals comparable? I believe yes! Olympics are nothing but a statement of perfection - statement by Michael Phelps that he would win eight gold medals in the Games and he indeed turns out and does so; statement by Ussain Bolt that he would break world records and he indeed does so by winning three golds in athletics; the statement of perfection by those participating in diving, gymnastics and so many other sports, where a wrong landing here would possibly mean end of the road. And here in Delhi, the capital of the country, we have roads that cause large scale damage to cars and even fatal accidents. Given this, it is not the Indian society that is breeding winners and perfectionists. If at all there are few winners, then they are those who rise above these social barriers by their individual grit and determination to stand on the podium. Collectively, for the society as a whole, perfection is still miles away -
- perfection while driving and overtaking - perfection during public dealings - perfection in buildings, roads, bridges and airports - perfection in selecting talent for international events - perfection in handling court cases and criminal cases.
When as a nation, we the citizens of India shall seek and deliver perfection in various aspects of life, then sports shall become a by-product, a habit and medals shall follow. And when that shall happen, then leaders shall not jump over the roof tops to dole out goodies to the winners. A warm hug and a strong handshake would be suffice and may be few words “Well Done!”
Chachu, 1 September, 2008
-----------------
Edited Comments on Chachu's Column #38: Chachu at IPL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Shivom said...
Great post, nice to see the pics of the Epsilon team, very nostalgic for all ex-team members :)
7:37 AM
2. Pilot-Pooja said...
Very nicely captured pics!! A great read for the Epsilon guys who missed this golden opportunity!
4:58 PM
3. Shantanu Goel said...
Thats so cool. I don't know if you remember me sir (most prbbly not), but i'd have just loved to be there with my ex-epsilon-team-mates. And never knew you had such a great fervor for writing. Will make sure to come back here often :)
Web Resources
-------------
Previous Chachu's Columns
-------------------------
http://chachus- blog.blogspot.com
Comments/feedback
-----------------
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http://chachus- blog.blogspot. com
Send your Comments/feedback to chachu321@yahoo.com or s.kasera@lycos.com
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Gold medal winner Bindra (top), Vijender (left) and Sushil (right)
So the three medals, one gold and two bronze, was a record for India. Among the three medal winners, only Bindra came from a very rich background where he could afford his own shooting range. The boxer and the wrestler came from non-descript backgrounds and it was heartening to see them strike it big. Thus, money was not the sole criteria in the path to success. The conduct and shenanigans of Indian officials and politicians after the victory was bizarre to say the least. The award for the boxers had started pouring even before their matches were over. The bronze winner boxer was running with the Indian flag after winning the quarter final match (having been assured of bronze and still waiting for semi-final bout). And the news channels went berserk seeing interviews of the family of the prize winners. Every one was falling over each other to appease the winners with cash prizes, free rail and air tickets et al. One always wondered how much the sports-officials really cared for the upliftment of sports. Was a post in administration just a source for realizing vested interests, to boss around the budding talent, to nurture a culture of nepotism and boot-licking or there was that genuine urge to develop the best talent and yet stay in the background?
Some politicians also announced boxing academies to promote sports. I wondered if we need such initiatives “before” or “after” the event. But then, what is now “after” the Olympics may in few years be “before”, and one would then like to see how things have really changed on the ground. Indeed it would be quite likely that the politicians who have announced these initiatives may themselves be not around (being dumped due to incumbency). However, if the seeds are well sown, then it was not imperative to constantly nurture the tree.
Bird’s nest in Beijing
Another aspect of this Olympics was the execution prowess of China in holding the games successfully. From the opening show till the finish and from the Bird’s nest to the swimming pools, China was unanimously awarded full marks for their administration. And when one compared this administrative supremacy of China with the pathetic state of affairs of Delhi’s roads, then one would shudder in fear. Readers may find this comparison weird, but fact of the matter is that within two years, India has to hold the 2010 Commonwealth games. And even though Delhi Government is taking some steps to prepare for the big event, the current state of Delhi road highlight the abysmal and pathetic state of affairs. Just a few showers of monsoons and the city is water logged, the drains are overflowing and there are pot holes so deep that even trucks and tractors overturn. And if this was not the end of misery, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi took a vow that in 10 days it would fill all potholes. And in the ten days indeed the foot-deep potholes have disappeared only to be filled by broken bricks, cement, mud and all primordial techniques one could conceive.
Runner Bold and Magical Swimmer Phelps
Seeing such dismal state, I always ask this basic question: How can a nation win Olympic medals when its roads are not perfect? Are roads and medals comparable? I believe yes! Olympics are nothing but a statement of perfection - statement by Michael Phelps that he would win eight gold medals in the Games and he indeed turns out and does so; statement by Ussain Bolt that he would break world records and he indeed does so by winning three golds in athletics; the statement of perfection by those participating in diving, gymnastics and so many other sports, where a wrong landing here would possibly mean end of the road. And here in Delhi, the capital of the country, we have roads that cause large scale damage to cars and even fatal accidents. Given this, it is not the Indian society that is breeding winners and perfectionists. If at all there are few winners, then they are those who rise above these social barriers by their individual grit and determination to stand on the podium. Collectively, for the society as a whole, perfection is still miles away -
- perfection while driving and overtaking - perfection during public dealings - perfection in buildings, roads, bridges and airports - perfection in selecting talent for international events - perfection in handling court cases and criminal cases.
When as a nation, we the citizens of India shall seek and deliver perfection in various aspects of life, then sports shall become a by-product, a habit and medals shall follow. And when that shall happen, then leaders shall not jump over the roof tops to dole out goodies to the winners. A warm hug and a strong handshake would be suffice and may be few words “Well Done!”
Chachu, 1 September, 2008
-----------------
Edited Comments on Chachu's Column #38: Chachu at IPL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Shivom said...
Great post, nice to see the pics of the Epsilon team, very nostalgic for all ex-team members :)
7:37 AM
2. Pilot-Pooja said...
Very nicely captured pics!! A great read for the Epsilon guys who missed this golden opportunity!
4:58 PM
3. Shantanu Goel said...
Thats so cool. I don't know if you remember me sir (most prbbly not), but i'd have just loved to be there with my ex-epsilon-team-mates. And never knew you had such a great fervor for writing. Will make sure to come back here often :)
Web Resources
-------------
Previous Chachu's Columns
-------------------------
http://chachus- blog.blogspot.com
Comments/feedback
-----------------
[For online edition with images and giving comments online, visit my blog at:
http://chachus- blog.blogspot. com
Send your Comments/feedback to chachu321@yahoo.com or s.kasera@lycos.com
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--------------
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---------------------------------------------
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Saturday, June 14, 2008
Chachu's Column #38: Chachu at IPL
IT industry has its own way of celebrating milestones. Working late nights, fixing customer bugs, preparing reports and getting customer approval culminates in the milestones getting approved and ensuing celebrations.
The bigger is the milestone, bigger is the budget and obviously bigger the celebration. Thus, when one of the key milestones was achieved, the purse strings were loosened and party promptly ordered. And surprisingly, there was as much hurry in getting celebrations arranged as shown in many aspects of the software delivery.
The core team which was earlier involved in diverse project work was now given the single point agenda to hold gala celebrations. The options were not many. For starters, there was the plethora of weekend resorts around NCR where one could burn in the summer heat, playing cricket, table tennis and having buffet lunch. Another popular option was bowling, carting and lunch – with or without a movie thrown in. So the choices were not many. Discussions kept going on and on.
<< The project head, core team members and yours truly>>
Movie? No!
Resort? No!
IPL? No!
And then someone shouted Eureka! Eureka! Why not a live IPL visit? Rest they say is history!
But the milestone was a big one and the next IPL match was at least a week away – the celebrations had to start soon. The point was short and simple – movie and lunch for starters.
Now when it comes to movies, PVR had created a virtual monopoly. Our introduction to multiplexes was “PVR saket”, which about a decade back, happened to be the only multiplex in town. And as legend goes, the cinema hall was so far from my house that whenever I went there, I saw two or three movies and not one. This was obviously to optimize on the petrol costs. Over the years, the multiplex revolution caught up and soon there was no dearth of options. Number of movies per visit also fell down.
<< Our team that had stormed the mall and eagerly waiting for the lunch >>
The core team zeroed on the multiplexes at hand and one that was slightly away yet no less comfortable was chosen. The whole auditorium was booked and popcorns and colas soon started flowing in. While the occasion and the setting rose to the occasion, the movie Mr. Black and Mr. White was Bollywood at its worst. Even Times of India’s half-a-star rating out of five was possibly an act of sympathy. No adjectives, abuses or encomiums could encompass the beauty of the movie. The storyline was not worthy of mention; it seemed as if the single point agenda of the movie was to bore the audience till death. Someone thought it was more worthwhile to give the black, the white and the grey a slip. Promptly some of our friends left the movie hall and went around shopping. The shopping mall, with sky rocketing rentals, could only find half of its tenants. Nonetheless, the window shopping was by far a better option then indulging into the pyro-techniques of Sunil Shetty and Arshad Warsi and a few nameless and shameless beauties.
Movies, colas and corns over, the next stop was lunch at a restaurant that was famous for its tandoor delicacies. However, the booking at 3.00pm meant that the one o’clock finish of the movie still provided two hours for the gathering to break its head and mourn over what transpired for the previous three hours. The chit chat continued for two hours that eventually ended with a sumptuous lunch. Now, I am strictly a vegetarian and a teetotaler – as far my house and my family goes. At a hotel where the bills are not foot by my wallet, I am an omni-tarian and a drinker as the occasion may warrant. The on-the-house chicken tikka always attain my special attraction primarily because of their taste and the high costs when the bill is yours. Needless to say the tandoori chicken and paneer tikka were eaten with amazing alacrity. The hungry and bored crowd too had their pick and devoured whatever was on offer.
Now you see late afternoon lunches have their own set of challenges. Hungry fools eat so much (as though this was there last party) that it becomes nigh impossible to work. But these were party days and who cared of work. What if the Release 2 delivery was being celebrated when Release 3 team was still breaking its head over the requirements?
<< Red caps: supporters of Red daredevils as well as identity proof>>
With the lunch the first part of celebrations were over. But there was more and so the work could not start right away. The next part was the big one – very big one. It was the Delhi Daredevils versus Chennai Super Kings IPL match. And on the show were big names from India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa including the likes of Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Glen Mcgrath, M. Ntini, M. Asif and our Indian ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Even though it was peak summer time of May and the match was scheduled in the evening, the enthusiasm was enormous. A poll was conducted and majority of the team members gave their consent for the visit. Dress code was finalized and 4 buses promptly booked. And to top it, a red cap was given to everyone to protect from searing heat.
<< Glen Mcgrath: Aging yet agile and accurate as ever >>
As a concept, the IPL picked up when India won the T20 world cup last year. And when rival body Zee started the ICL or the Indian Cricket League under the aegis of Kapil Dev, the Indian cricket board BCCI thought it was time for action. While the ICL did not come anywhere close to the popularity of IPL, BCCI did not take any chances. To start off, they stripped Kapil Dev of his pension. The IPL was then conceptualized with Lalit Mode as the chairman that brought together two most popular themes of India: cricket and bollywood. Teams were named and auctioned (when even the players were not even chosen) and the bollywood stars were quick to gobble a few. So, you had Shahrukh picking Ganguly and his Kolkatta’s men, while Preity Zinta picked up dashing batsmen Yuvraj and his Punjabi men. The state or city loyalties were killed and anyone was allowed to pick any player (barring icons like Ganguly/Kolkatta, Tendulkar/Mumbai, Dravid/Bangalore, etc.) as long as total budget of the team did not cross about $5 million. Players, like art work, were put under the hammer, and the bollywood biggies, businessmen and mavericks including Vijaya Mallya picked up the loot. Teams brought, players brought, jerseys brought, sponsors brought, the team went out to fight, with or without the practice.
<< Core group, Senior Managers and a beleaguered spectacled gentleman named Chachu >>
On the fateful day, even though the match was supposed to start at 4.00pm, the project work did not see any sunlight. The buses were to leave at 12 and we had to be seated by about 2.00pm. The cafeteria which usually opens at 12.30 was specially opened for the IPL touring party one hour earlier. With lunch over, and official work given a slip, the buses were packed and off they went. Some of the smarter ones who were not seen in the bus, nor on their desktops doing work, had found a nice excuse to have official leave and to cool their heal at their houses. The bus journey too offered chips, juices and waters. The touring party was indeed was well served.
<< Our top boss in company t-shirt and other senior managers >
At the stadium, there were about 15 gates and long queues awaited each of them. Some of the street urchins were selling banners of 4s/6s. At the initial rate of 10Rs they came down to Re 1. While some felt happy with the bargain, few steps ahead saw various radio channels doling out banners for free. After about half an hour of wait, the gates were opened and after heavy security checks, we were allowed to get in. Once inside, some of us were offered cold drinks by our big boss because we were at the right place at right time with the right man. Others brought with their own money. The snacks and beverages inside the stadium was not on the house. When inside, the entire stadium was empty and we chose our seats. We thought it was smart to sit a few rows behind, but that proved to be a costly mistake. Soon we realized our folly because every delivery bowled led the crowd in front to standup resulting in complete blockage of cricket view. I had to use missiles of all kinds including empty plastic cans, stale and friend groundnuts, and even banners to keep the crowd seated.
<< Team members in full flow >>
Anyways, the entire touring party found their seats and friends and banners. Being on the eastern side, the sun was always on our heads. The caps, cold drinks, lemon juice (MRP of Rs 8 being sold at Rs 15) and water hardly provided any relief. Some people took to getting tattoos painted on their faces while some others went near the staircase to get some shade. Nonetheless, everyone eagerly waited for the match to start. The crowd too was pouring in thick and fast and soon the stadium was nearly full. There were no seat numbers associated with the tickets so those in minority found it very difficult to get empty seats. However, our touring party had the luxury of sitting on two or three seats.
Soon the match started and Delhi batted first. With the distance we were at, it took us considerably time to realize that the lean and thin right hander was none other than Virendra Sehwag. Thereafter, we found it more useful to see the Screens at the stadium rather than the live match itself. It was simpler and convenient, almost as good as seeing it on TV sans the commentary. With some good batting, especially by Gautam Gambhir, Delhi posted a healthy score of around 180 odd. When the match first started, every ball was cheered by the crowd as they stood up from the seats and waved their hands. The heat and the progress of the match soothed the nerves of the crowd and their standing also subsided. Now, since the game started at 4.00pm in the evening against the more common time of 8.00pm, it meant that the crowd was keener to avoid the searing heat as against watching the match. Thus, every now and then we went down to have a drink or snacks. The restrooms were surprisingly clean and usable.
<< The new and improved Feroj Shah Kotla grond >>
As the sun set, Chennai Superkings came to bat, and crowd also became more energetic. While most of them in crowd supported Delhi, those from South India had other ideas. They had painted their t-shirts and their choice of team was obvious. I was with the team that was going to win so my support oscillated with the fortunes of the team. In the last ball, Chennai won and the minority supporters had the last laugh. Soon, the red caps returned to the buses where they were ferried back to their homes. And the celebrations were over. Then we had to wait for some new milestones and another season of IPL for another bout of celebrations.
Chachu 14/06/2008
-----------------
Edited Comments on Chachu's Column #37: Of God’s own country
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
** 1 ** Received your column and as usual it was a good read. (Courtesy Soni)
** 2 ** We had amazingly good time in Kerala last October. (Courtesy Gautam Goenka)
** 3 ** Good one. (Courtesy Smita)
Web Resources
-------------
Previous Chachu's Columns
-------------------------
http://chachus- blog.blogspot.com
Comments/feedback
-----------------
[For online edition with images and giving comments online, visit my blog at:
http://chachus- blog.blogspot. com
Send your Comments/feedback to chachu321@yahoo.com or sumit.kasera@aricent.com
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The bigger is the milestone, bigger is the budget and obviously bigger the celebration. Thus, when one of the key milestones was achieved, the purse strings were loosened and party promptly ordered. And surprisingly, there was as much hurry in getting celebrations arranged as shown in many aspects of the software delivery.
The core team which was earlier involved in diverse project work was now given the single point agenda to hold gala celebrations. The options were not many. For starters, there was the plethora of weekend resorts around NCR where one could burn in the summer heat, playing cricket, table tennis and having buffet lunch. Another popular option was bowling, carting and lunch – with or without a movie thrown in. So the choices were not many. Discussions kept going on and on.
<< The project head, core team members and yours truly>>
Movie? No!
Resort? No!
IPL? No!
And then someone shouted Eureka! Eureka! Why not a live IPL visit? Rest they say is history!
But the milestone was a big one and the next IPL match was at least a week away – the celebrations had to start soon. The point was short and simple – movie and lunch for starters.
Now when it comes to movies, PVR had created a virtual monopoly. Our introduction to multiplexes was “PVR saket”, which about a decade back, happened to be the only multiplex in town. And as legend goes, the cinema hall was so far from my house that whenever I went there, I saw two or three movies and not one. This was obviously to optimize on the petrol costs. Over the years, the multiplex revolution caught up and soon there was no dearth of options. Number of movies per visit also fell down.
<< Our team that had stormed the mall and eagerly waiting for the lunch >>
The core team zeroed on the multiplexes at hand and one that was slightly away yet no less comfortable was chosen. The whole auditorium was booked and popcorns and colas soon started flowing in. While the occasion and the setting rose to the occasion, the movie Mr. Black and Mr. White was Bollywood at its worst. Even Times of India’s half-a-star rating out of five was possibly an act of sympathy. No adjectives, abuses or encomiums could encompass the beauty of the movie. The storyline was not worthy of mention; it seemed as if the single point agenda of the movie was to bore the audience till death. Someone thought it was more worthwhile to give the black, the white and the grey a slip. Promptly some of our friends left the movie hall and went around shopping. The shopping mall, with sky rocketing rentals, could only find half of its tenants. Nonetheless, the window shopping was by far a better option then indulging into the pyro-techniques of Sunil Shetty and Arshad Warsi and a few nameless and shameless beauties.
Movies, colas and corns over, the next stop was lunch at a restaurant that was famous for its tandoor delicacies. However, the booking at 3.00pm meant that the one o’clock finish of the movie still provided two hours for the gathering to break its head and mourn over what transpired for the previous three hours. The chit chat continued for two hours that eventually ended with a sumptuous lunch. Now, I am strictly a vegetarian and a teetotaler – as far my house and my family goes. At a hotel where the bills are not foot by my wallet, I am an omni-tarian and a drinker as the occasion may warrant. The on-the-house chicken tikka always attain my special attraction primarily because of their taste and the high costs when the bill is yours. Needless to say the tandoori chicken and paneer tikka were eaten with amazing alacrity. The hungry and bored crowd too had their pick and devoured whatever was on offer.
Now you see late afternoon lunches have their own set of challenges. Hungry fools eat so much (as though this was there last party) that it becomes nigh impossible to work. But these were party days and who cared of work. What if the Release 2 delivery was being celebrated when Release 3 team was still breaking its head over the requirements?
<< Red caps: supporters of Red daredevils as well as identity proof>>
With the lunch the first part of celebrations were over. But there was more and so the work could not start right away. The next part was the big one – very big one. It was the Delhi Daredevils versus Chennai Super Kings IPL match. And on the show were big names from India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa including the likes of Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Glen Mcgrath, M. Ntini, M. Asif and our Indian ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Even though it was peak summer time of May and the match was scheduled in the evening, the enthusiasm was enormous. A poll was conducted and majority of the team members gave their consent for the visit. Dress code was finalized and 4 buses promptly booked. And to top it, a red cap was given to everyone to protect from searing heat.
<< Glen Mcgrath: Aging yet agile and accurate as ever >>
As a concept, the IPL picked up when India won the T20 world cup last year. And when rival body Zee started the ICL or the Indian Cricket League under the aegis of Kapil Dev, the Indian cricket board BCCI thought it was time for action. While the ICL did not come anywhere close to the popularity of IPL, BCCI did not take any chances. To start off, they stripped Kapil Dev of his pension. The IPL was then conceptualized with Lalit Mode as the chairman that brought together two most popular themes of India: cricket and bollywood. Teams were named and auctioned (when even the players were not even chosen) and the bollywood stars were quick to gobble a few. So, you had Shahrukh picking Ganguly and his Kolkatta’s men, while Preity Zinta picked up dashing batsmen Yuvraj and his Punjabi men. The state or city loyalties were killed and anyone was allowed to pick any player (barring icons like Ganguly/Kolkatta, Tendulkar/Mumbai, Dravid/Bangalore, etc.) as long as total budget of the team did not cross about $5 million. Players, like art work, were put under the hammer, and the bollywood biggies, businessmen and mavericks including Vijaya Mallya picked up the loot. Teams brought, players brought, jerseys brought, sponsors brought, the team went out to fight, with or without the practice.
<< Core group, Senior Managers and a beleaguered spectacled gentleman named Chachu >>
On the fateful day, even though the match was supposed to start at 4.00pm, the project work did not see any sunlight. The buses were to leave at 12 and we had to be seated by about 2.00pm. The cafeteria which usually opens at 12.30 was specially opened for the IPL touring party one hour earlier. With lunch over, and official work given a slip, the buses were packed and off they went. Some of the smarter ones who were not seen in the bus, nor on their desktops doing work, had found a nice excuse to have official leave and to cool their heal at their houses. The bus journey too offered chips, juices and waters. The touring party was indeed was well served.
<< Our top boss in company t-shirt and other senior managers >
At the stadium, there were about 15 gates and long queues awaited each of them. Some of the street urchins were selling banners of 4s/6s. At the initial rate of 10Rs they came down to Re 1. While some felt happy with the bargain, few steps ahead saw various radio channels doling out banners for free. After about half an hour of wait, the gates were opened and after heavy security checks, we were allowed to get in. Once inside, some of us were offered cold drinks by our big boss because we were at the right place at right time with the right man. Others brought with their own money. The snacks and beverages inside the stadium was not on the house. When inside, the entire stadium was empty and we chose our seats. We thought it was smart to sit a few rows behind, but that proved to be a costly mistake. Soon we realized our folly because every delivery bowled led the crowd in front to standup resulting in complete blockage of cricket view. I had to use missiles of all kinds including empty plastic cans, stale and friend groundnuts, and even banners to keep the crowd seated.
<< Team members in full flow >>
Anyways, the entire touring party found their seats and friends and banners. Being on the eastern side, the sun was always on our heads. The caps, cold drinks, lemon juice (MRP of Rs 8 being sold at Rs 15) and water hardly provided any relief. Some people took to getting tattoos painted on their faces while some others went near the staircase to get some shade. Nonetheless, everyone eagerly waited for the match to start. The crowd too was pouring in thick and fast and soon the stadium was nearly full. There were no seat numbers associated with the tickets so those in minority found it very difficult to get empty seats. However, our touring party had the luxury of sitting on two or three seats.
Soon the match started and Delhi batted first. With the distance we were at, it took us considerably time to realize that the lean and thin right hander was none other than Virendra Sehwag. Thereafter, we found it more useful to see the Screens at the stadium rather than the live match itself. It was simpler and convenient, almost as good as seeing it on TV sans the commentary. With some good batting, especially by Gautam Gambhir, Delhi posted a healthy score of around 180 odd. When the match first started, every ball was cheered by the crowd as they stood up from the seats and waved their hands. The heat and the progress of the match soothed the nerves of the crowd and their standing also subsided. Now, since the game started at 4.00pm in the evening against the more common time of 8.00pm, it meant that the crowd was keener to avoid the searing heat as against watching the match. Thus, every now and then we went down to have a drink or snacks. The restrooms were surprisingly clean and usable.
<< The new and improved Feroj Shah Kotla grond >>
As the sun set, Chennai Superkings came to bat, and crowd also became more energetic. While most of them in crowd supported Delhi, those from South India had other ideas. They had painted their t-shirts and their choice of team was obvious. I was with the team that was going to win so my support oscillated with the fortunes of the team. In the last ball, Chennai won and the minority supporters had the last laugh. Soon, the red caps returned to the buses where they were ferried back to their homes. And the celebrations were over. Then we had to wait for some new milestones and another season of IPL for another bout of celebrations.
Chachu 14/06/2008
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Edited Comments on Chachu's Column #37: Of God’s own country
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** 1 ** Received your column and as usual it was a good read. (Courtesy Soni)
** 2 ** We had amazingly good time in Kerala last October. (Courtesy Gautam Goenka)
** 3 ** Good one. (Courtesy Smita)
Web Resources
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Previous Chachu's Columns
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http://chachus- blog.blogspot.com
Comments/feedback
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[For online edition with images and giving comments online, visit my blog at:
http://chachus- blog.blogspot. com
Send your Comments/feedback to chachu321@yahoo.com or sumit.kasera@aricent.com
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Monday, April 21, 2008
We get what we deserve
Yesterday I saw a dilapidated building that was about to fall down. The roof tilted at an angle leaning on its broken pillars. I wondered how such dangerous structures were not brought down gracefully. And today, I saw a man boldly walking over the top of its roof. Probably it was with some purpose, or probably a flaunt. But it was plain risky.
Another point that deserves merit is how a building was brought down by a group of labours near our office. First the walls were broken. What remained was rectangular beams. Painstakingly, over a month, the beams were broken by a group of labours. There was no help from science for them. Just hammer and chisels. It was in the millenium city. But the techniques were primitive and probably cheapest and riskiest.
In yet another shocking incident, an old state transport bus fell in a canal purported after a broken axle. The bus had run 1.1 million kilometers and was in a poor state. And with the broken axle broke the hopes of 40 parents whose children perished in the accident.
What I conclude from these three incidents is we get what we deserve. Either by choice as the hero walking on the leaning building or by force as the labours breaking old buildings, or by destiny as those unfortunately children in the bus, our safety is to an extent in our own hands. The more we protect, the safer we are. Otherwise, we only get what we deserve.
Speak, shout, demand.
Demand a safer nation...
chachu
Another point that deserves merit is how a building was brought down by a group of labours near our office. First the walls were broken. What remained was rectangular beams. Painstakingly, over a month, the beams were broken by a group of labours. There was no help from science for them. Just hammer and chisels. It was in the millenium city. But the techniques were primitive and probably cheapest and riskiest.
In yet another shocking incident, an old state transport bus fell in a canal purported after a broken axle. The bus had run 1.1 million kilometers and was in a poor state. And with the broken axle broke the hopes of 40 parents whose children perished in the accident.
What I conclude from these three incidents is we get what we deserve. Either by choice as the hero walking on the leaning building or by force as the labours breaking old buildings, or by destiny as those unfortunately children in the bus, our safety is to an extent in our own hands. The more we protect, the safer we are. Otherwise, we only get what we deserve.
Speak, shout, demand.
Demand a safer nation...
chachu
Friday, March 28, 2008
Of Bore wells, safety and tamasha..
27-Mar-2008
Yesterday, throughout the day, various news channels kept highlighting the plight of a two and a half year girl Vandana who was stuck in a borewell about 45 feet deep. Apparently, she was playing near an unprotected borewell when she fell and got stuck. As soon as the news leaked out, the reporters thronged the accident site and kept broadcasting the news whole day. It took the army men about 27 hours to get her out.
Now, you see, I and you don’t know who Vandana is. And honestly speaking, we also do not want to know who she is. So why the news channels should keep narrating the life history of a girl stuck in distress for a day or two. Just because she is on verge of life and death, she becomes an ideal candidate to become a "breaking news".
But what about the ordinary people who move around? Move around in cars and motor bikes? Are there any less dangers lurking around? Again yesterday itself, I saw at least three trucks without any tail lights. In the dimly lit city roads, they are moving carriers of death. But there is no reporter breaking its head over it.
There are even more interesting people who drive half-blind truck (at times with the right headlight broken giving oncoming traffic an impression of a two wheeler instead of a four-wheeler). And in the extreme cases, fully blind trucks that too on wrong side wreck havoc on roads.
Even off the road, there are numerous cases where poorly fitted high-tension wires, open manholes, weak fire-safety measures, and many other cases cause damage to life and property.
The dangers are everywhere. Just that the feeble and weak administration either don’t see the problem or don’t want to fix the problem. Breaking the news over a girl stuck in a hole does not solve the problem - Nor writing articles on virtual Internet. Then what?
skasera
ALSO SEE
Two-year-old rescued from borewell after 27 hrs
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Two-year-old_rescued_from_borewell_after_27_hrs/articleshow/2902426.cms
Labourer mowed down at Delhi airport site
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Man_mowed_down_at_Delhi_airport_site/articleshow/2904965.cms
Yesterday, throughout the day, various news channels kept highlighting the plight of a two and a half year girl Vandana who was stuck in a borewell about 45 feet deep. Apparently, she was playing near an unprotected borewell when she fell and got stuck. As soon as the news leaked out, the reporters thronged the accident site and kept broadcasting the news whole day. It took the army men about 27 hours to get her out.
Now, you see, I and you don’t know who Vandana is. And honestly speaking, we also do not want to know who she is. So why the news channels should keep narrating the life history of a girl stuck in distress for a day or two. Just because she is on verge of life and death, she becomes an ideal candidate to become a "breaking news".
But what about the ordinary people who move around? Move around in cars and motor bikes? Are there any less dangers lurking around? Again yesterday itself, I saw at least three trucks without any tail lights. In the dimly lit city roads, they are moving carriers of death. But there is no reporter breaking its head over it.
There are even more interesting people who drive half-blind truck (at times with the right headlight broken giving oncoming traffic an impression of a two wheeler instead of a four-wheeler). And in the extreme cases, fully blind trucks that too on wrong side wreck havoc on roads.
Even off the road, there are numerous cases where poorly fitted high-tension wires, open manholes, weak fire-safety measures, and many other cases cause damage to life and property.
The dangers are everywhere. Just that the feeble and weak administration either don’t see the problem or don’t want to fix the problem. Breaking the news over a girl stuck in a hole does not solve the problem - Nor writing articles on virtual Internet. Then what?
skasera
ALSO SEE
Two-year-old rescued from borewell after 27 hrs
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Two-year-old_rescued_from_borewell_after_27_hrs/articleshow/2902426.cms
Labourer mowed down at Delhi airport site
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Man_mowed_down_at_Delhi_airport_site/articleshow/2904965.cms
Monday, January 14, 2008
Chachu's Column #37: Of God's own country
Chachu's Column #37: Of God's own country
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Family congregations offer excellent opportunity to shed the monotony and go places. When one such opportunity placed itself before me, I plunged without much ado. But before that, the planning had to be taken care of. And even before that, the venue had to be decided. The choices were aplenty. But the budget was thin. And when you consider that the toddlers do not get any grace from the aviation industry, unlike our good old railways where they can be squeezed here and there, the matters only become worse.
Living in the country’s capital also posed its unique challenges. You could go up and immediately end up on some hill station. In the last few years, various venues had already been lapped up. Shimla and Chail for one (see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chachus_pen/message/10). Then there was a visit to Nainital and Kasauni last year where the 16 hour return journey nearly broke the back of my NRI relative; not to mention the number of stoppages for nausea et. al. Another visit to Mount Abu too was rather unceremonious not because what it offered but because of plethora of minor issues. Ergo, hills were totally out of the question.
Going west meant good old pink city Jaipur and its siblings like Udaipur and Jodhpur and the royal hotels that graced them. Jaipur had been visited, while others with their sky rocketing room rentals did not offer much chance. Eastern India, including places like Sikkim and Darjeeling, were also hill stations and not under consideration.
That only left South India. Here too, there were considerable options. One could explore the solitude of the islands in the Andaman; or could go to the beautiful Lakhsadweep. And then obviously there was the God’s own country – Kerala. After much deliberation, “Kerala” was chosen. Now, Kerala is squeezed between Lakhsadweep Sea and Indian ocean in the west, and the Western Ghats in the East. Oceans also seep inside the state at various points thus forming the famous backwaters. Thus, for tourists, it offers plenty of options. There are sea beaches, the most famous being the Kovalam. On the west there are many hill stations - Munnar and Thekkady being the important ones. Then there are backwaters, including Alleppey, the Venice of the East. Now, choosing venues for our trip had the concomitant predicament. Many tourists prefer hopping from one venue to other, each morning being one of packing bags, stuffing the shaving kit, loading the goods in the minivan and hurrying the lethargic populace into action. It was as though the objective of travel was marking the venues into the list of traversed cities - much akin to traveling 13 European Cities in 16 days. I abhorred this concept because for me, travel was for leisure where the foremost priority was relaxation, living life at one’s own pace, not having to bother about professional duties. For the spouse, being relieved of house hold duties was the greatest benefit. Thus, the itinerary was deliberately kept light and the travel and hotel hopping kept bare minimum. With travel industry booming in the country, the travel agents offered pretty competitive rates. And then an excellent air travel offer meant that return fare for Cochin ex Delhi was brought for less than eight thousand rupees. And only few years back, if my memory serves me right, one way ticket to Trivandrum was nearly fourteen thousand rupees.
The entry port for our trip was Cochin (or Kochi as it is popularly known) where the relatively new Cochin International airport greeted us. The airport though small had a pleasing architecture and was pretty neat and clean. A minivan greeted us outside. Unfortunately, the van did not have a boot space or a carrier. Thus, the tons of luggage were stuffed below and above the passenger seats. And the empty ones were occupied by the passengers. Our hotel was about an hour away from the airport. The drive gave us the first glimpse of Kerala – God’s own country. The state seemed sparsely populated, with lakes and lush green trees dotting the journey. Roads though narrow were well maintained. Immediately, prospects of accruing financial benefiting by investing in real estate opportunity started conjuring up.
Our hotel (www.milmermaid.com/) too was built on the bank of a small river. The river surface was green with weeds and lotus leaves hiding the water. And just at the edge of the river was a small swimming pool. Thus, while swimming one felt as though one was being carried along with the river water. The hotel rooms were simple and decently built. The one night stay in Cochin meant that the bags had to be packed the next day itself.
Having had our breakfast early, we left for sight seeing. As a tourist destination, Kochi did not offer much (http://www.cochin.org/tourism.htm). In fact, for most of the people visiting Kerala, it was the easiest entry point where a night was spent at a decent hotel, a cab hired and the kerala journey continued. Nonetheless, we took our time to visit some important spots. One of the places we visited was the Jewish Synagogue and Jew Town, Mattancherry. The maiden visit to the synagogue meant that the difference between a church and a synagogue was slightly clearer. There, we also saw a shop that had a fifty-feet boat, traversing the entire length of the shop. While tourists stormed to take its pictures, the proprietor allowed only one photo per family. While many complained, I thought it was his right to protect his IPR – after all it was his boat.
The next stop in Cochin sight seeing was the Fort Cochin and its famous Chinese fishing nets. The idea behind the extravagant nets was to suspend a large fishing net through a massive structure of bamboo poles. The structure was lowered through ropes by a group of fishermen. After a while or so, it was pulled up again. While the whole effort was quite painstaking, the rewards were not commensurate as only the very tiny fishes were caught in the net. Moreover, as the nets by different groups were placed every forty meters or so, there was lot of competition to capture the fishes. We drank fruit juices and enjoyed the fun.
The last stop in the sight seeing affair was the Hill Palace at Tripunithura. The one time palace was now converted into a museum that purportedly displayed a fine collection of articles showing the wealth and splendour of the Rajas of Kochi. It was a pity that when we reached there at around 1.00pm, we found museum closed in the most bureaucratic manner for an hour of lunch. One wonders when huge amount of money is spent in Incredible India! Campaign (http://www.incredibleindia.org/), one only needs to look inside at the problem of tourists to know where the fault lines lie. We waited patiently for forty minutes and when the patience ran out, we left the palace without seeing the museum (probably never ever to return!).
After sight seeing in Cochin, we proceeded towards Thekkady. The journey to Thekkady was rather long one spanning nearly six hours. The journey towards western Kerala was through small hills having rubber, coffee and other plantations adorning the roadside. When we had nearly reached the hotel, our van stopped abruptly. I enquired about the reason and was told that the road ahead was not good. The van then took a U-turn and went ahead in the reverse gear. It was quite evident that the two feet high road that was being build through large rocks and boulders led our country to pre-historic ages where may be elephants dragged rocks for building roads. No construction machinery was visible and only sweaty men with spade and shovel were in sight. When we got down and entered our hotel, we were in another India (http://www.nivalink.com/silvercrest/index.html). The contrast between public works and private aggression could not have been more stark.
As a tourist destination, the most famous spot in Thekkady was the Periyar lake (see photo) that went through the Periyar wild life sanctuary. A two hour boat journey early next morning promised a lot, but the wild life was no where to be seen. Still the lake seemed to be among the largest in India and its peace and tranquility was almost unrivalled. The boat journey tickets had a tag of a hundred rupees but we were told that the queues would make it impossible for us to buy the tickets early morning. Promptly a service charge of 25% per ticket was paid to an Agent. However, much to our dismay, the ticket counters before our journey wore a deserted look. Long live the Indian “Agent” System!
Apart from the fine resorts and an extremely beautiful lake, Thekkady also had some other specialities. First of all, it had wide variety of tea, cardamom, rubber and coffee plantations. Other important event for many was the elephant visit. From an asking price of Rs 350/- per head, we managed to get two adults and two children for merely 250/- in all. The ride on an elephant that meandered dangerously on the slippery soil of a hilly plantation was good fun. Then there were numerous shops offering exquisite collections of herbs and spices. Most of these were costly by Indian standards and fit only for the foreign tourists with dollar earnings.
Thekkady, and many other towns of Kerala, was also noted for its famous ayurvedic massage. Every third shop offered this massage and it was difficult to judge which one was the best. Thus, one who offered cheapest price was chosen. The experience was invigorating and the steam bath in a make-shift wooden cupboard with our skull jutting out was thrill. Then there were live shows of classical Indian dances which again hardly any Indian was interested and was largely aimed at the foreigners. Another specialty was the show of Kalari Fight (a traditional technique of martial arts with specialized weapons and fire).
After spending a couple of days Thekkady, we proceeded for our final desitnation Alleppey. We had heard that the place was reachable only through a boat. I could only imagine how the place would be like? Surrounded by waters at all sides? Our van driver took us to a jetty. The jetty offered us a first hand look of Alleppe and the reason why it was said to be the “Venice of the East”. Alleppey was a town connected through an elaborate network of canals. In the remote parts, one could find large tracts of land with an isolated hut situated on the banks of the canal. And there were large tracts of water where the ocean had jutted inside the mainland.
The resort chosen was to be our highlight of the Kerala trip (http://www.lakepalaceresort.com/). And much to our delight, the place was among the best resorts that I had visited. The resort was situated on the serene banks of the Vembanadu Lake and was reachable only by the complimentary boat service provided by the resort. The resort was a rectangular tract where the lake flanked the boundary. Inside the resort there was another lake that covered bulk of the resort. And right in the center of the lake was a beautiful swimming poll (see photo). Apart from the pool, the resort other facilities like health center and an ayurvedic center. Every evening, the resort also offered a complimentary cruise ride in the back waters of Alleppey. The cruise took us deep into the hearts of Kerala where there was only palm trees and water to be seen. Most of the time was spent loitering in the resort. Close to the resort was the Allapuzha beach. Beach was rather deserted yet cleaner than some of the popular tourists beaches like Marina or Juhu.
Our last day in Kerala was planned for a 4-bedroom houseboat. Stay at the houseboat was considered almost mandatory for those visiting Alleppey. In particular, the newly wed honeymooners found it very attractive proposition for seeking solitude. The houseboat though expensive, was a big disappointment. The furnishings were poor and room quite small. It seemed as if the two bedroom houseboat was squeezed to accommodate four rooms. The meals too were of limited quantity and were not sufficient for all. A DVD player was provided but no DVD. Luckily, we stopped in the middle of a lake where the sole shop offered chips, ice-creams and DVDs. We brought some DVD only to find the player not working. However, the laptop came to our rescue.
The houseboat took us to similar places where the boat cruise earlier had taken. Only that the rooms were tiny. And then there was the diesel generator to handle. The rooms closer to the genset had to brave noise, smell and the chill of the AC. Those away escaped the noise, smell and unfortunately the AC (because of common AC vent). After a rather unceremonious last day at the houseboat where very poor feedback was given which in turn led to the assistants refusing to help with our luggage, we returned to warmth of our house (or the cold of Delhi winters)!
Chachu 13/01/2008
Web Resources
-------------
http://www.incredibleindia.org/ (Govt. of India website to promote tourism)
http://www.milmermaid.com
http://www.cochin.org/tourism.htm
http://www.nivalink.com/silvercrest/index.html
http://www.lakepalaceresort.com/
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